Roman city discovered by archaeologists in Luxor /

Luxor, which translates as “The Palaces” in Arabic, used to be known as “The City of a Hundred Doors” in ancient times. It is considered by many to be the world’s largest open-air museum due to the presence of some of the most majestic temples in an area of ​​417 square kilometers (161 square miles), including the Valley of the Kings, Karnak Temple, Queen Hatshepsut Temple , and the Luxor Temple, which houses some of the most extraordinary ruins and artifacts. Luxor is part of the ancient city of Thebes and is located in the southern region of Upper Egypt on the eastern bank of the Nile River. Luxor served as the capital of the country under the New Kingdom and was considered a very important city in ancient Egypt.

Millions of tourists from all over the world come to the city to see this amazing beauty. More than 500,000 people still live in the city in an active population that relies almost exclusively on tourism. Luxor experiences an extremely hot and sunny environment, with summer highs of 40 C (104 F) and winter lows of 22 C (71.6 F).

What is the history of Luxor?

The city of Luxor had a strong religious heritage, as evidenced by its history as the city of Amun and, subsequently, in the New Kingdom of Egypt, as the city of the gods, where the Karnak Temple serves as the main place of worship. Each god had a shrine, including Amun-Re, Mut and many others. The city’s importance increased around the beginning of the 11th Dynasty during the Early Middle Kingdom, leading to the New Kingdom, where it became the capital and focal point for all areas of ancient Egypt’s politics, religion, and military.

Where is Luxor now?

Even after the Greek, Roman, Coptic and Islamic eras arrived in Luxor and numerous churches and mosques were built close to or even on top of some temples, Luxor remained a window into ancient Egyptian history. The city of Luxor and all its monuments were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 and continue to amaze us with new discoveries.

What is Luxor’s latest discovery?

In the center of Luxor, a city in southern Egypt, archaeologists from Egypt claimed to have found an 1,800-year-old “complete residential city from Roman times.”

According to Mostafa Waziri, the head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, the city is the “oldest and most important city on the east bank of Luxor” and dates back to the second and third centuries.

Waziri claimed in a statement that archaeologists found “several residential buildings”, “two pigeon towers” (a building used to keep pigeons or doves), and “several metal workshops”. Waziri explained that these towers were used as nests for breeding pigeons. Messages would then be delivered by the birds to other regions of the Roman Empire.

Researchers discovered a variety of pots, utensils, and “bronze and copper Roman coins” in the workshops.

It is an unusual archaeological discovery in Egypt, where excavations are typical of temples and tombs, particularly on the west bank of Luxor, where the well-known Valley of the Queens and Valley of the Kings are located.

Authorities declared the discovery of a 3,000-year-old “hidden golden city” on Luxor’s west bank in April 2021. The archaeological team called it “the largest” ancient Egyptian city ever found.

In recent years, Egypt has made several important archaeological discoveries. Critics argue that the spate of excavations has prioritized discoveries that will attract media attention over rigorous scientific research.

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However, the discoveries have been a critical part of Egypt’s effort to revive its essential tourism sector after years of political turmoil and after the Covid outbreak.

Sherif Khalil owns Dunes & Beyond. Dunes & Beyond offers luxury tours, Nile cruises and desert safaris in Egypt.

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